D999 URC This is a Derbyshire Fire Control Unit. It is based on a Dodge G13C chassis with a Customline conversion. New in 1986, this vehicle is based at Ripley. The plate on the side reads “Derbyshire County Council Fire Service”.
The rear view of the same Dodge. The red and white checker markings indicate its control status at a large incident. Firefighters arriving at an incident would report to the rear door to be briefed.
FJ04 BZF is a Vauxhall Combo that is also with Derbyshire.
X843 GJF This red Vauxhall Astra belongs to Derbyshire F&RS. It carries a simple livery and mag-mount blue lights on the roof.
FM52 FBU This red Skoda Fabia diesel is used by a senior officer with Derbyshire F&RS.
V604 DRB is parked alongside two other appliances a a firefighter uses it to pump water at an exercise.
P429 NKU This Leyland DAF FA75-300 is a 4-wheel drive, tri-axled Derbyshire appliance with Carrmichael bodywork.
AF53 GRX This is a silver Ford Galaxy that is used by the LFB. It is fitted with a full-width blue light bar and grille repeaters.
NX06 AOA This is a 2006 Cleveland appliance whose cutting equipment is being used by its crew to extricate a casualty from a Ford Escort as part of an demonstration.
WX54 VKL This is a MAN 6×4 prime mover produced by Marshall SV. Over 200 of these vehicles were ordered in 2004 by the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s ‘New Dimension’ initiative. They are a very flexible vehicle as pods of specialist equipment can be loaded onto the rear and taken to the incident. This is done by a small crane arm that is mounted behind the cab.
The rear view of the Marshall prime mover.
SV54 AUJ This is a 10-crewcab Scania belonging to Grampian Fire & Rescue, with Emergency One (UK) bodywork. It is ‘711’ which is based at Peterhead full-time station. The most striking thing is that the engine’s base colour is white (as is the rest of Grampians engines). Rumour has it that this is because any replacement panels would have had to be sprayed with a base colour of white before the red – so this colour scheme saves time and money!
SV51 EVY This Grampian’s ‘963’; a Scania aerial ladder platform. Written on the cab doors is the corporate slogan ‘Preventing Protecting Responding’.
YY52 UVS This Vauxhall Astra is one of a number of identical vehicles used for fire brigade work by Humberside. From a distance they look very much like police cars.
YY52 UVO The rear shot of another identical Astra.
YW02 KPL Humberside also have Vauxhall Movanos on the run. This example shows the minimal livery and small blue flashing light.
Y643 KDP This unusual 6-wheeled fire vehicle is a Angloco Steyr-Daimler-Puch Pinzgauer. The light pump is operated by Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and is based at Crowthorne.
VS 68 AA is a Defence Fire Service Volvo appliance.
RX04 SMU This is a Merercedes-Benz Econic Operational Support Unit from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue’s fleet.
The rear view of the OSU, showing the fork-lift truck that is used to unload it.
WX54 VLU This ‘new dimension’ engine is a specialist vehicle supplied by the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister. It is a Prime Mover / Hose Layer / Heavy Pump, based on a M.A.N chassis converted by Marshall Specialist Vehicles.
The rear view of the same fire engine.
A close up of the front of this fire bus shows that it is fitted with blue and red flashing lights on the roof. Fire command vehicles are permitted to show a red and white checkered light, but this this vehicle has solid red.
This Mercedes Appliance has yet to be registered and assigned. Notice the bumper mounted emergency stop button for the winch and the flood lights on the roof.
WX04 WVD is a Dennis Sabre water rescue pump operated by Wiltshire Fire Brigade. It has bodywork by JDC and is stationed in Swindon.
WX53 FBG is a Mercedes Econic turn-table ladder unit with Angloco bodywork. It is seen here with its stabilisers and telescopic boom extended. The appliance is based at Swindon.
We now have a Ford Focus C-MAX demonstrator fire car. It has only the roof mounted light bar and is shown here in a generic fire livery.
The side view. The vehicle could be used to carry fire officers on day-to-day duties or on blue lights to incidents.
This is a ScotTrack Glencoe All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) belonging to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. It is a tracked personnel and equipment carrier that is used in very inaccessible areas (moorland for example). It is fitted with a blue flashing light on the cab roof as well as some livery. It doesn’t carry a registration plate.
The side view. Notice how the twin-seated cab has material sides and roof. Also notice the lack of a steering wheel! The driver controls the vehicle by a joystick arrangement. Front- and rear- facing floodlights are also fitted. The ATV is carried on a trailer towed by a fire brigade Land Rover. This example was new in 1993 and is based at Northallerton, it’s sister vehicle is a 1995 version based at Kirkbymoorside.
N765 YEF This Volvo FL6.14 is the Incident Command Unit for North Yorkshire. In an unusual white livery, this ICU carries communication equipment and office space for use at major incidents.
The rear view of this 1996 vehicle, which was converted by Baileys Totalfleet. It is stationed at NYF&RS’s HQ.
M470 KOV This Dennis SS239 is on the run at Erdington, Birmingham. It is one of a fleet of eight identical engines with successive registrations run by West Midlands Fire Service. It replaced a J-reg Dennis-Carmichael.
F538 UAJ This Volvo appliance is used by Skipton Junior Fire Fighters. Previously it was a front-line appliance with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.
N177 SDA West Midlands Fire Service run this coach. It is a Dennis Javelin / Plaxton Premier 43-seater. It is used to transport personnel and is based at Solihull.
G245 UWW is a London Fire Brigade Renault-Dodge S56 truck. In 1990 the LFB bought 15 identical vehicles, with registration numbers 232-249. This one was still operational in 2005. Notice the big blue rotating beacons high up on the roof, and the small repeater on the front grille.
This red Ford Transit is used by the private company Event Fire Services.
RX04 CHC is a Mercedes Ateco fire engine used by the London Fire Brigade. This appliance has forward and reverse ‘FIRE’ wording on the front.
The side view of the same appliance. Notice how that the livery has not been fully completed at the time when this photograph was taken. It also appears that the ladders are absent form this vehicle.
P477 RHV is a Volvo FL6 with Saxon bodywork. It is about to leave Lambeth station in central London station on an emergency call.
The London Fire Brigade appliance leaves its garage at speed. Note the advertising on the side locker advising you to plan your escape route from your home.
YX51 FYE This is a Dennis Rapier appliance from Humberside FB. It has yellow and red striping down the sides and a winch (covered in red material) on the front bumper. An odd feature is the red and white checkered light in the centre of the light bar. Normally reserved for control or command fire vehicles, the light can be illuminated when more than one pump is at the scene of a fire to indicate who is in charge. It is also interesting to note that this is the only way that a UK vehicle can legally display a red light to the front.
The rear view of the Goole-based engine.
AF53 GPY A London Fire Brigade Ford Transit, fitted with a light bar and grille lights.
N843 OYN A LFB Vauxhall pick-up seen at headquarters.
F539 UAJ This engine is an ex-front line appliance from North Yorkshire F&R that is now used by Tadcaster Young Firefighters.
R804 CUA A West Yorks. Volvo FL6.18 Saxon Simon 262 Hydraulic platform, based at Wakefield fire station.
The rear view, showing the cradle.
BU04 FMG A West Midlands Fire Service Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI. Both rear doors display the two emergency telephone numbers for the UK: 999 and 112. ‘112’ was adopted in the 1990s to be the single emergency number that could be used in all European Union countries. It makes no difference which one you dial.
YR52 ODL A South Yorkshire Mercedes appliance.
YAB 254W This Dennis belongs to Kingston upon Hull Volunteer Emergency Services.
The side view shows the locker’s contents.
The rear aspect.
XAS 280V This Bedford CF van has no real livery. It is fitted with blue flashing lights and has silver locker doors on both sides.
The rear view shows the back opened to reveal a hose reel and pump.
WV52 CGK is a Mercedes Econic rescue unit operated by Wiltshire fire Brigade. It is based at Westlea fire station.
The rear view showing the lights fitted to this appliance. The top orange lights can be used as an arrow to direct traffic around the appliance either to the left or right.
The side view showing the battenburg markings over the lockers. Note that this appliance only has two crew.
CU03 AHV is the incident command unit used by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. This large truck is used to co-ordinate incidents and is equipped with rooms where the strategic planning can take place. Notice how the Welsh word for fire, tan, is also on the front of the truck.
The wording on the offside is in English, whilst on the nearside it is in Welsh. You can see from this picture that the telescopic lighting/communications tower is extended. You can also see the additional flood lighting around the side of the vehicle.
EO51 LUE This Peugeot camper van is used as emergency accommodation to people who have been made homeless due to a fire in their home. It is operated by volunteers of the Red Cross.
YB03 LUA This Ford Ranger is a F.I.R.E. – BIRD (Ferno International Rescue Equipment). It has a choice of five removable pods that are attached to the rear. The user can choose from water rescue, confined space and rope rescue, major accident rescue, fire rescue and major incident rescue and decontamination rescue.
YD04 NGB This 2.5-litre turbo diesel truck is the same as the one above, but shows pod 1: the water rescue unit. Notice how the roof still has blue flashing lights that are plugged into the cab. It is sensible to have specialist pods which remove the need to buy five vehicles, or a smaller number of large vehicles.
GTC 609X This is an old Dodge fire appliance used at Berkley Power Station as an incident response vehicle.
HOO 124T The Ford is another ex-private company fire engine. Notice the lack of livery and just ‘Fire Service’ written on the sides.
C317 HGB This ex-Strathcylde appliance has bodywork by Fulton Wylie and is a preserved demonstartor.
E755 HRV This old Bedford appliance is ex-Hampshire but has few clues to it’s current role. It has no writing on it, and the square blue lights down the sides have been replaced with amber lenses.
NK53 FDV This is a Durham & Darlington FRS Dennis Saber ML / Excalibur pump. It is being used as a driver training vehicle, and is seen here on a practice blue light run being driven by senior driving instructor SO Bob Clark.
NK04 WNR A rear shot of a similar Dennis shows how two adverts (in 2004) adorn the lockers and add to the Northumberland livery. This particular engine is based at Hexham.
E842 JYV This is an ex-London Fire Brigade 1988 Renault / Saxon appliance. It has all of its wording removed and is currently in preservation.
FKU 898V This is a preserved South Yorkshire appliance that was based at Barnsley.
N107 EOR A yellow LDV van used by Leistershire for equipment transportation.
NL02 OJN A white-fronted Cleveland Scania / Emergency One pump.
B537 GWB This preserved old Dennis is an ex-South Yorks. appliance that was based at Brampton Berlow.
TTV 954X A Nottinghamshire Fire Brigade engine that was used at for training before being retired.
M225 PHN This Dennis is a Cleveland Heavy Rescue Unit. Notice the crane located just behind the cab and the flared wheel arches to accommodate the wider track which aides stability.
The rear view of the same vehicle, which is based at Stockton.
DDC 1 This is a Cleveland Scania G93ML-280 hydraulic platform. It is rare to see a very old registration plate transferred to a new vehicle in the public fire service. It was first used in 1947 on a Dennis F-series pump based at Middlesborough Fire Station. It was transferred to Stockton’s first HP around 1978 and again on to this HP in 1990.
The rear view of the appliance, which is also based at Stockton.
M985 NVN A Renault Midliner flat-bed truck which is used for general purposes by Cleveland.
The rear aspect.
Y108 OJA is a Skoda Fabia 1.9 SDI Cleveland fire officer’s car.
F886 KRG This is a Seddon-Atkinson Cleveland Fire Brigade Incident Support Unit. The blue light bar has been placed behind the ‘fire rescue’ sign on top of the cab, meaning that it can’t be seen from the front!
AF02 JLO This white MAN truck is a Cleveland community fire safety display / office.
HPE 752V This Dennis is used by Serco at the International Fire Training Centre. Notice the amber light on the roof for use on airfields.
DG53 FWE This is one of a large number of Incident Response Units that the Government has purchased to respond to a terrorist attack in England and Wales. This one is fleet number ‘IRU 010’. These MAN trucks have been converted by Marshall Special Vehicles to carry a wide range of equipment useful for contamination and chemical attack situations among others.
The rear view. Notice the red and yellow battenburg livery and material sides. These slide back to reveal palettes of equipment stored inside. There are no marks to identify the fire brigade county that the vehicle is being used in (and hence they have a non-specific livery). This is because after training nationwide, these vehicles will be collected in, stored and deployed to whichever county needs them in an emergency.
To load and unload the palettes of equipment, this Moffett Mounty fork lift truck is attached to the rear. It is fitted with its own blue flashing light and can be used to move other objects at incident scenes. Scotland has three similar-looking Scania appliances for its terrorist response.
Here are the vehicles in action. The Moffet Mounty fork-lift is unloading two of the containers of equipment from the side of the MAN. Notice how the fork-lift has a blue flashing light, and can lift two containers at a time. The sides of the fire appliance are accessed by pulling back the curtain sides.
The rear view. The rear looks very different without the fork-lift in place. Look how the entire roof of the appliance has lifted by about half a metre to facilitate access to the containers. Each container is labeled (e.g. offside 3 upper) so that every appliance around the country has the same equipment stored in the same place.
K962 EYH This Volvo FL6.14 is one of a number owned by London Fire Brigade. The ‘pod’ on the rear is a control unit office. This is demountable and can be replaced by a breathing apparatus pod for example.
The rear view of the LFB control unit truck.
LG52 RCU is a Citroen Berlingo van used by the telecommunications team of LFB.
J916 CYP is responding to an emergency call in central London. This Volvo FL6.14 pump is one of 24 identical engines bought by LFB in 1992. They have registrations “J901 CYP” to “J924 CYP” and are distributed all over the capital.
A front overhead view of the same engine.
J908 CYP After leaving front line service with LFB, engines can be shipped all over the world. This example is the former “J908 CYP” which was shipped to Malta and given the new registration of “FSE 112”. The Fire & Security Engineering company use it as a training vehicle.
K934 EYH An overhead shot of an identical appliance, showing the ‘plan your escape’ advertising and roof-mounted equipment of the LFB.
The rear overhead view of the Volvo along with two of its sister vehicles.
E869 JYV is one of a trio of 1988 Dennis F127 turntable ladders owned by London Fire Brigade. Here the appliance is making its way through London’s traffic on blues and twos. Unfortunately the appliance makes a lot more noise with its siren and engine than it does forward motion.
DY53 LKU This is one of NYF&RS’s VW Golf estate fire cars. A number of these cars were purchased in November 2003.
The rear view of the same car. Notice that it has removable blue lights that are attached by magnets to the roof. This means that they can be used on other fire vehicles. Also some magnetic lights cannot be used while in motion as they may fall off.
N823 WPY is a Volvo FL6 14 training vehicle from North Yorkshire. Its sister vehicles N820-822 WPY are all fire appliances with North Yorkshire F&RS.
This Landrover Defender is an unregistered fire vehicle. When photographed, it was on display at a Landrover dealership’s off-road test track. It has no markings on its bodywork.
YJ53 LHF A month later, the same Landrover has been liveried and registered and is in use at York fire station.
This Landrover is used by Avon Fire Brigade’s Community Safety Team.
Here is a West Yorkshire pump in use at a major fire in Bradford.
More shots from around the site where polystyrene ignited and caused a major incident for the fire brigade.
A West Yorks. turntable ladder is shrouded in the smoke.
Another turntable ladder is use in the thick, black smoke.
A different view, showing the height of the smoke and the trail of hoses on the ground.
West Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Command Unit.
A scenic view as a firefighter on an aerial platform uses the inbuilt water monitor.
YO02 JEX This is a South Yorkshire fire car. This Ford Mondeo diesel has a minimal livery but still looks very smart.
D526 SDS is a well-used 1986 Nissan 4×4 pick-up used at Sherburn Aero Club, North Yorkshire. It has a large cylinder of compressed foam fixed to the flat bed in the rear.
NX53 AYV This is one of a number of Volvo appliances with Emergency One bodywork bought by NYF&RS in early 2004. This example is based at York.
PNU 999R is a 6-wheeled Range Rover rescue tender. It was based at Retford Fire Station, Nottingham, with call sign 212.
TTV 958X Another vehicle from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Retford station’s past is this Dennis RS133 rescue tender, call sign 512.
N977 FWU and P654 PWW are appliances attending a derelict house that is on fire in West Yorkshire.
V280 HBM This Vauxhall Astra is an fire officer’s car from Pontefract. It has a magnetically-attached blue light and siren unit on the roof.
NX53 AYW is a sister vehicle of ‘AYV’ above. It is an identical Volvo based at NYF&RS’s Malton station.
This Jaguar fire car is is a one-off donated and converted by Chris Coote Conversions of Scunthorpe for the Cadwell Park motor racing circuit. It is fitted with a blue light bar and repeater blue lights behind the grille. The amber beacons are used when the vehicle is on circuit in a non-emergency capacity.
The Jaguar can be manned by two people but is normally solo-crewed as the operators are volunteers.
The fire fighting equipment consists of four portable extinguishers, two “blue” powder ones and two “white” foam. It is normal practice at racing circuits to kill the fire quickly with the powder extinguisher and, if necessary cool the area down using the foam. Consequently once the rear doors are opened the first extinguisher to hand is always the “blue”. A large capacity foam extinguisher is situated in the vehicle. This has to be pressurised before use and is discharged via a hose and nozzle. Once the tank is pressurised it must be discharged the same day so it isn’t pressurised unless essential.
YD52 TWW NYF&RS’s Bronto Skylift appliance in use at a training exercise. Notice how it has leveled itself on sloping cobbles.
The crew train in using the appliance for river rescue work, surprising passing mariners with its reach.
YX03 FVL An 03 registration Scania fire appliance from Humberside Fire Brigade.
YX03 FVN An almost identical vehicle that is being used for driver training.
The rear view, showing the ‘L’ plate and roof equipment arrangement.
N823 WYP A NYF&RS breathing apparatus training unit sitting on the back of a flat bed fire engine used for driver training.
A T&WMFB flat bed truck appliance. Here it is loaded with a demountable iron lung. If you collect the other three in the series can they be put together to make the logo?
B919 KWM This photograph shows a Merseyside Fire Brigade Dennis Fire Engine responding to a fire in a Refuse Wagon. It was taken on Scotland Road, Liverpool, during the early 1990’s.
Y733 HYG A Landrover Defender 110 from NYF&RS. It is an unusual design, having a removable white roof to make it into a pick-up style vehicle.
The front and side view of the same Landrover.
T307 FUA A Vauxhall Frontera from NYF&RS. Although sponsorship has become almost essential for many brigades today, it cannot be denied that the resultant livery on this car is messy and hotch-potch.
The rear view. Notice that the blue lights are mounted on the roof rails so the car will have fewer holes in it when it comes to be sold on.
NV51 YJC This Peugeot 306 estate is a fire car belonging to NYF&R. It has a double blue roof light bar with ‘FIRE’ written over the light. The inset shows the front view of the blue lights, also with writing over them. There are also two small repeater blue lights mounted below the front bumper. The website on the rear screen is the official site of NYF&R.
NK51 OTJ is a 2002 addition to Durham & Darlington Fire and Rescue Brigade. It is a Dennis SFD222ML / Emergency One appliance based at the High Handenhold station. It’s sister is NK51 OTG and is an identical appliance based at the Peterlee station.
YJ51 DZC A NYF&R 2002 Landrover Defender. Notice the minimalist blue lights.
The side view of the same vehicle. Notice the maximum water line just below the door sill.